Partnerships are an integral part of the digital currency ecosystems, as collaboration leads to true innovation in nearly every case. Having multiple sets of eyes on key issues can be the cause for new solutions that otherwise would not have been conceived. A recent partnership between Cavirtex and Vogogo Inc. will improve the trading experience for future and current account holders on the exchange platform.

Bitcoin is often touted as being the perfect solution to bring financial services to people living in unbanked and underbanked nations of the world. Traditional financial institutions often don’t see the benefit in investing in these areas, as the costs far outweigh the benefits. But is Bitcoin really the future of these nations? NairaEx, a newly launched Bitcoin exchange in Nigeria, certainly seems to think so.

Emerging and developing markets, such as India, for example, are warming up to the idea of using decentralized payment solutions such as Bitcoin and other digital currencies. Looking at this from a financial point of view, India, together with China, are two countries working very hard to drive the growth of non-cash payments. Only time will tell if this move will help foster Bitcoin adoption in both countries.

There are quite a few everyday consumers who wouldn’t mind switching retailers if they started accepting Bitcoin. Brand loyalty is not what it used to be a few years ago and there is very little competition between retailers in terms of pricing. The only key area to make a difference, is what types of payment methods are accepted and Bitcoin could be a determining factor in the next few years. Read more...

Over the past 24 months, there has been a growing interest in using Bitcoin as a payment method. Frictionless and global payments at a fraction of traditional payment processing costs, while not having to invest in additional infrastructure, seems to be a dream come true for merchants. VodaNet is the latest company to accept Bitcoin transactions, and their vacation packages can now be paid for in virtual currency. Read more...

Cryptsy is one of the largest cryptocurrency platforms in existence to date. Not only does this platform give users the chance to trade various types of virtual currencies intermittently, but Cryptsy also added support for fiat currency trading a while ago. A new UI and set of features has been involved, and Cryptsy 2.0 is now available to users all over the world.

Bringing the concept of virtual currency and digital assets to everyday consumers is not as easy as it sounds. On paper, all it would take is a targeted marketing campaign and maybe one or two boxes or flyers. But with Bitcoin and digital assets, the story is quite different, as consumers and merchants like to see the technology in action. ShapeShift.io released their Skeleton Exchange Tool, which aims to display the power of virtual currencies and digital assets.

Traditional financial institutions from all over the world are slowly realizing they need to either innovate or perish. The system of banks, as we all know it, is coming to an end sooner rather than later unless there is a new form of technology to prevent that. Bitcoin’s blockchain is being eyed by many financial institutions around the world, but that doesn’t mean they will integrate Bitcoin anytime soon.

Arjan van Os Dislikes Bitcoin With A Passion

Most of ABN Amro’s development revolving around blockchain technology is taking place over at their Innovation Center, which is led by Arjan van Os. Blockchain technology is incredibly interesting and valuable to financial institutions, and ABN Amro is just one of the world’s major banks to experiment with this type of innovation. Read more...

If we want to grow the Bitcoin ecosystem, proper steps have to be taken to raise awareness about virtual currencies, and the reason why they exist. Targeting younger audiences seems to be the way forward, as students are a perfect demographic for the disruptive effect of Bitcoin and other digital currencies. Or we can just take a page out of Clever Kash’s book, and directly target young children. Read more...

One of the heavy topics of debate, which has been going on for years now, is whether or not Bitcoin is ready for mainstream consumption. Despite the increase in venture capitalist funds in both 2014 and 2015, the overall performance of this disruptive virtual currency has been rather lackluster. Or that is what the everyday consumer seems to think, even though that vision is not shared by everyone. Read more...